The fastest time in which you can finalise a divorce in the UK is 6 – 7 months, assuming that it is a straightforward case and there are no significant backlogs in the family courts. This minimum divorce period includes the mandatory cooling-off period of 20 weeks before you can apply for a Conditional Order and a 43-day wait before you can apply for a final order, which will legally bring your marriage to an end. While there is no concept of a ‘quick divorce’ in the UK, the term tends to be used for uncontested divorces where both parties agree on their separation, child arrangements and the division of marital finances. For more information about the average divorce time in the UK, check out our article: How Long Does It Take to Get a Divorce in the UK?
It is important to understand that while some online providers may advertise ‘quick divorces’ or ‘quickie divorces’, these terms can be misleading. Firstly, no divorce in England or Wales can be shorter than 6 months, as there is no option but to complete the mandatory 20-week reflection period. As such, there is no urgent, emergency, or fast-track option for a fast-track divorce. This timeframe is designed to give couples space to reflect on their decision and make practical arrangements where possible. There are some exceptional circumstances in which a court may use its discretion to expedite the 20-week cooling-off period, including serious illness, but such cases are extremely rare.
Secondly, it is important to take the time necessary to ensure that the paperwork required for the divorce process is completed accurately and thoroughly. Poor advice and guidance from an online quick divorce service may only prolong your divorce time and lead to further complications. For example, divorcing without a legally binding divorce settlement can leave you open to serious financial consequences in the future. Indeed, the increase in the volume of consumer complaints relating to misleading claims of low legal costs and easy and quick divorce is a rising concern, which led the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to launch an investigation into the practice in 2023 1.
Is it quicker to get a divorce without a lawyer?
If your divorce is amicable and straightforward (i.e. you do not have complicated assets to divide), there is nothing to stop you from divorcing without a divorce lawyer, as doing so can be cheaper and give you more control of the process. That said, it is not quicker to divorce without a lawyer. In fact, quite the opposite is true. An experienced divorce lawyer is more likely to save you time by ensuring that any mistakes are avoided and will reduce the stress of the overall divorce process. Divorcing without a lawyer can have negative implications, such as :
- Placing you under pressure to handle the process on your own
- A lack of knowledge regarding your legal rights
- Mistakes made during the legal proceedings of your divorce (timings to respond, providing documents, filling applications correctly)
- Lack of legal advice on financial and child arrangements, and
- Lack of negotiation
How to get a quick divorce in the UK
While a divorce in the UK cannot be completed in less than 6 months, there are certain tips that you can apply to achieve a smoother divorce to get a “quick divorce”, including:
- Use the online divorce application
- Making joint divorce application
- Both parties being cooperative and responsive
- Reaching an agreement on finances and children
Use the online divorce application
Applying for a divorce using paper forms submitted by post generally takes longer than the online process. This is due to the postal / delivery times and the additional time required to process the application at the courts to transcribe it into their systems.
Making joint divorce application
By far, the most important tip when trying to minimise the time to finalise a divorce is to make a joint application. Making a joint application removes the additional time needed for the other party to respond to the acknowledgement of service notification within 14 days, confirming whether they agree with or will dispute the divorce. It also removes the potential for not responding, which places the onus on the applicant to prove that the petition has been served on their spouse. Furthermore, it removes the likelihood that the other party will dispute the divorce for an exceptional reason (e.g. that the marriage was not valid), which can significantly delay the process as a court hearing may then be needed.
Both parties being cooperative and responsive
If both parties can cooperate and be responsive at each stage of the divorce process, then this will reduce the potential for delays. For example, if the courts require more information, any delays in responding will slow the overall divorce process down correspondingly. For this reason, if you are keen to reach a quick divorce, speak to your ex-spouse to ensure they understand the importance of timely responses and providing all of the information required.
Reaching an agreement on finances and children
Delays due to complex and heated divorce financial and child arrangements disputes can drag on for months or even years in some cases. While it won’t speed up the divorce process itself, reaching a fair and amicable agreement on your finances and children with your ex-spouse without the need to ask the court to do so will enable you both to move on faster.
Reference:
1 GOV.UK: CMA investigates will-writing and other legal services
